Staff photo by Ari Selvey – Nicollet’s Carson Kettner scores over New Ulm Cathedral’s Joe Gillis during a recent basketball game.
Nicollet pulled off an impressive comeback to defeat New Ulm Cathedral 68-58 in a boys basketball game last Friday. This victory marks their sixth straight win.
Coach Chris Hulke praised his team’s determination. “We finally made some shots,” he said. “Early in the game, we struggled, but our players believed in each other. Our defense was strong, especially from Noah Fitzner and Henry Oscarson. Once our shots started falling, our confidence grew.”
Carson Kettner played a key role in the comeback, scoring 21 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. He acknowledged the support from his teammates, saying, “I didn’t start well, but they kept encouraging me. I had to step up.”
Henry Kennedy contributed with 20 points and 8 rebounds, while AJ Kramer added 14 points and 5 rebounds. On the other side, Jake Finstad led Cathedral with 14 points.
The game took a turn with Nicollet trailing 48-38 with just over nine minutes left. Kettner started the comeback with a three-point play. Kramer followed with a corner three, narrowing the deficit to 48-43. After some back-and-forth action, Kettner’s free throws and a floater from Kennedy gave Nicollet a crucial 51-50 lead.
“We started moving the ball well and focused on our defense,” Kettner noted. “That really made a difference.”
As the game neared its end, Cathedral tied the score at 56. However, Kettner hit two big three-pointers, giving Nicollet some breathing room. In the closing moments, Nicollet secured their win by making all six free throws as Cathedral resorted to fouling.
“We stayed focused on our game plan,” Coach Hulke reflected. “As long as we worked hard on defense, the offense would take care of itself.”
The match had its ups and downs. Nicollet opened strong, racing to a 7-0 lead. But Cathedral soon took the lead 10-9. The teams exchanged runs, with Nicollet initially regaining control before Cathedral led 31-25 at halftime.
In the second half, Nicollet made a push to tie the game again, but Cathedral responded with a solid run, setting the stage for Nicollet’s dramatic finish.
Nicollet (12-12) looks ahead to their game against Mankato Loyola on Tuesday, while Cathedral (9-15) prepares to take on Martin County West on Monday.
Source link
Local Sports,Nicollet wins 6th straight with comeback over Cathedral
